Cage for games.



A. TOMKINS.

CAGE FOR GAMES.

APPLICATION FILED JAN.12,1910.

Patented Ma 31,1910.

7 2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

ANDREW a GRAHAM CO, muw-umlxiluvms, WASHINGTON, 0.;

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A. T-OMKINS,

CAGE FOR GAMES.

APIPLIOATION FILED JAN. 12, 1010.

959 973, Patented May 31, 1910.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

OOOOOO UNITED STATES PATENT, OFFICE.

ALFRED TOMKINS, OF PITTSBUBG, PENNSYLVANIA CAGE FOB GAMES.

Application filed. January 12, 1910.

T 0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ALFRED TOMKINS, a citizen of the United States of America, residing at Pittsburg, in the county of Allegheny and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cages for Games, of which the following is a specification, reference being had therein to the accompanying drawing.

This invention relates to cages for game sports, and more particularly to a structure for restricting the area of floor or ground, roofed or unroofed, upon which the game of basketball, indoor baseball or similar games are played, the cage being particularly designed for gymnasiums for confining the play of the game and preventing the same from being interrupted by spectators or gymnastic structures.

The primary object of my invention is to provide a portable or knock-clown cage em bodying positive and reliable means for preventing players within the cage from falling against, being pushed against, thrown against or otherwise contacting with the supporting frames of the cage.

Another object of this invention is to provide a structure for supporting a screen or netting whereby the screen or netting will cushion and retard the movement of a player contacting with the same, without scarring or injuring the player.

I attain the above objects by a cage structure embodying a plurality of wall supporting units adapted to be connected by top and bottom rails which are arranged to support the screen or netting at a point remote to the wall units. These units, their construction and arrangement, and certain appurtenances that are necessary to pro vide a practical and durable structure, will be hereinafter specifically described and then claimed.

Reference will now be had to the drawings forming a part of this specification, wherein there is illustrated a preferred embodiment of the invention, but it is to be understood that the structural elements thereof can be varied or changed without departing from the spirit and scope of the invention.

In the drawings :Figure 1 is a perspective view of a cage constructed in accordance with this invention, Fig. 2 is an enlarged vertical sectional view of the same.

My improved cage comprises a plurality of metallic wall units, these units being ar- Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented May 31, 1910.

Serial No. 537,628.

ranged and connected to provide a rectangular structure having yieldable walls. Each wall unit comprises vertical angle bars 1, horizontal angle bars 2 and 3, and triangular plates or bracket pieces 1 connecting and bracing the horizontal bars 2 and 3 relative to the vertical bars 1. The bars and plates are preferably connected by rivets 5 or other fastening means, with the plates or bracket pieces 4 preferably arranged between the sets of angle bars 2 and 3 and the vertical angle bars 1. These wall units are used in connection with a rectangular bottom frame and a rectangular top frame. The bottom frame is formed by side rails 6 and end rails 7, said rails having right angular outwardly extending foundation blocks 8 upon which the wall units are mounted. The top frame comprises side rails 9 and end rails 10, these rails being provided with bearing blocks 11 suitably secured or mounted upon the horizontal bars 2. The rails of the upper and lower frames at the corners of the cage are connected by vertical posts 12, and said rails are furthermore connected by a wire screen or netting 13, which also connects the posts 12. The cage at one corner thereof is provided with an additional post 14 and this post is connected by a bar 15 to the corner post 12 to provide a doorway for a suitable door 16, this door and doorway permitting of players entering and leaving the cage. The rails 9 and 10 of the upper frame are provided with suitable uprights 17 supporting a screen or netting 18, which forms a superimposed cage for prevent-ing a ball or playing piece from being accidentally thrown over the walls of the main cage. At the ends of the superimposed cage, window frames 19 are substituted for the screen or netting 18, said window frames being suitably braced from the ceiling, as at-20 and from the walls, as at 21, and said window frame, which is provided with extra heavy transparent glass panes 22 serves functionally as a banking or bounding board adapted to assist a player in placing a ball or playing piece in a basket or pocket 23 arranged at the end of the cage upon the inner side thereof. This basket or pocket is ordinarily used in the game of basketball and can be connected to the end rails 10 or to the bottom rail of the banking or bounding board.

I attach considerable importance to the wall units in maintaining the yieldable walls of the cage at a point remote to said units,

whereby a player cont-acting with the walls will not be injured as though contacting with hard and permanent walls. It is a well known fact that numerous players, particularly participants of a basketball game, have been seriously injured by falling or being thrown against permanent and nonyieldable structures, and it is in view of this fact that I have devised my improved cage.

Having now described my invention What I claim as new, is

1. A cage of the type described comprising a plurality of wall units, each unit comprising vertical bars and inwardlyextending upper and lower horizontal bars, an upper frame connecting the upper horizontal bars, a lower frame connecting the lower horizontal bars, and a netting connecting said frames inwardlyof the vertical bars.

2. A cage of the type described comprising a plurality of wall units, each unit comprising vertical bars and inwardly-extending upper and lower horizontal bars, an upper frame connecting the upper horizontal bars, a lower frame connecting the lower horizontal bars, a netting connecting said frames inwardly of the vertical bars, and bracing members secured to the horizontal and vertical bars.

A cage of the type described comprising a plurality of wall units, each unit comprising vertical bars and inwardly-extending upper and lower horizontal bars, an upper frame connecting the upper horizontal bars, a lower frame connecting the lower horizontal bars, a netting connecting said frames inwardly of the vertical bars, vertically-disposed uprights mounted upon the upper frame, and a screen secured to said uprights and forming in connection therewith a superimposed cage.

4. A cage of the type described comprising a plurality of wall units, each unit comprising vertical bars and inwardly-extending upper and lower horizontal bars, an upper frame connecting the upper horizontal bars, a lower frame connecting the lower horizontal bars, a netting connecting said frames inwardly of the vertical bars, bracing members secured to the horizontal and vertical bars, verticallydisposed uprights mounted upon the upper frame, and a screen secured to said uprights and forming in connection therewith a superimposed cage.

5. A cage of the type described compris ing a plurality of wall units, each unit comprising vertical bars and inwardly-extending upper and lower horizontal bars, an upper frame connecting the upper horizontal bars, a netting connecting said frams inwardly of the vertical bars, right-angularly disposed and outwardly-extending foundation blocks projecting from the lower frame and supporting the lower horizontal bars, and bearings carried by the upper frame and engaging the upper horizontal bars.

6. A cage of the type described comprising a plurality of wall units, each unit comprising vertical bars and inwardly-extending upper and lower horizontal bars, an upper frame connecting the upper horizontal bars, a lower frame connecting the lower horizontal bars, a netting connecting said frames inwardly of the vertical bars, bracing members secured to the horizontal and vertical bars, right-angularly-disposed and outwardl extending foundation blocks projecting from the lower frame and supporting the lower horizontal bars, and bearings carried by the upper frame and engaging the upper horizontal bars.

7. A cage of the type described comprising a plurality of wall units, each unit comprising vertical bars and inwardly-extending upper and lower horizontal bars, an upper frame connecting the upper horizontal bars, a lower frame connecting the lower horizontal bars, a netting connecting said frames inwardly of the vertical bars, vertically-disposed uprights mounted upon the upper frame, a screen secured to said uprights and forming in connection therewith a superimposed cage, right-angnlarly disposed and outwardly-extending foundation blocks projecting from the lower frame and supporting the lower horizontal bars, and bearings carried by the upper frame and engaging the upper horizontal bars.

8. A cage of the type described comprising a plurality of wall units, each unit comprising vertical bars and inwardly-extending upper and lower horizontal bars, an upper frame connecting the upper horizontal bars, a lower frame connecting the lower horizontal bars, a netting connecting said frames inwardly of the vertical bars, bracing members secured to the horizontal and ver-' tical bars, vertically-disposed uprights mounted upon the upper frame, a screen,

ALFRED TOMKINS.

WVitnesses MAY D. TRIGHT, J OHN M. IRWIN. 

